Where to start when updating equipment

[BK_Strozier 33]

If you were updating every club in your bag where would you start, and why? 

Follow up, What is some of the best advice you've gotten about getting new clubs?

[jlukes 16,461]

I would start by watching this video from TXG about how to get the most out of your club fitting. 

As far as what club should you get fit for first, it really depends on what model and how good of a fit each club in your bag is

[RichL85 666]

For me, the first question would be why am I updating gear? Typically I would only update gear to help with some kind of issue I'm having. Those issues would dictate the need and order of upgrade for me. My gear is all around 13-14 years old, but it all works fine for my purposes. If I were to start updating the full bag, I would personally start with driver. Why? Because it is the club that I hit most often where I think I would see the biggest benefit. My least favorite club at the moment is my 3 wood,but I wouldn't bother to replace it right now because I don't hit it often enough to justify. 

The best advice I ever got about upgrading is to figure out what you don't get from your current clubs and always have a purpose in updating. The new clubs need to do something that the old clubs didn't. I worked with a guy that updated his Irons twice a year. He never hit any of them all that well because he was always tweaking something either with his gear or his swing. 

[JerryB 1,151]

I'm really new to the game so I'm not sure how helpful I can be, but the best advice I've gotten is if you're given the opportunity to try something out, take it!  Do that demo, swing your friend's driver, etc.  Never know what might feel good.

Me personally, I've pieced together a set from hand me downs from friends.  They're all older clubs and not necessarily suited for me.  I dont have any wedges so I just bought a cheap set off amazon just to get used to those types of clubs.  As I gain more swing consistency, I'll look to replace the clubs that just aren't working for me, kinda as Rich suggested.

[EEZurg 116]

It depends why I think I need new clubs.  If I'm hitting a club well, but aren't getting the same results as others (distance, shape)....I would start there.  

Putters are used the most.....so many styles to help.  

[DiscipleofPenick 4,023]

The advice I've had on clubs are the following

1. Get fitted.

2. Update drivers/irons every 5-7 years. Someone on our level isn't going to notice those minor performance changes year to year. We will notice those cumulative changes every half decade or so.

3. Don't be in a hurry to swap those distance clubs (FWs and Hybrids), or putters. Even top pros are reluctant to swap those clubs for the latest and greatest. I think Cantlay is a top 10 guy with a 915 fairway wood. We all know about Stenson's 2013 Callaway, or Snedeker's and Phil's old Odysseys.

 

[Shankster 33,016]

You use your putter more than any other club. Find your match.  Then wedges, if they are long in the tooth… could be costing you some strokes. 
 

Not sure what that PXG video says, but they are usually on top of it, probably a great recommendation from @jlukes

[MWL_9 67]

If it's in the budget, get fitted.  If everything was equal, I'd start with the irons first.

[Ted J Foreman 0]

To get the best deal you want to try and start looking for your new clubs around the start of the year (Jan-Feb). This is when most club manufacturers release their latest models and so the previous year's models are heavily reduced by most retailers. Updating a gears is when you need it the most that directly affect your performance, you can try to upgrade drivers and other important things like Shoes for golf etc. This is a great way to save money.

[tchat07 1,856]

Obvious answer you'll get through out is get fitted. As for what clubs to update, it all depends on your current set and your game. In a perfect world you would do the whole set but if you had to do one at a time I would probably go from the green and move backwards. If you have a really high swing speed then I might do the opposite and start from the tee and move forward.

[HeathS16 2,297]

I think a couple others have said it but the most impact you’ll see right away are probably from the putter and wedges. Putter bring the most often used and your wedges probably needing new grooves. 

[NiftyNiblick 1,995]

About worn grooves on wedges.

Rather than replace wedges you like, use a cutting tool and gouge the hell out of the grooves instead.

This will accomplish two things.

It will make your grooves sharp again.

It will also represent an intelligent reaction to the stupid 2010 groove rules change.

In fact, you won't conform to 2009 rules either!

[ I once or twice did that with my old Clevelands,  Mdl 588   49 / 53º and Mdl 691    58º. 

They could stop a ball and draw it back on Rt. 95 asphalt.  ]

 

Edited August 14, 2021 by NiftyNiblick

[PMookie 17,320]

On 8/7/2021 at 12:13 PM, BK_Strozier said:

If you were updating every club in your bag where would you start, and why? 

Follow up, What is some of the best advice you've gotten about getting new clubs?

I’m starting with putter, period, and it’s a full fitting not just rolling putts at a store. This is the one club an amateur will use 30+ times a round and it’s one of the least fitted in the bag.

[NiftyNiblick 1,995]

10 minutes ago, PMookie said:

I’m starting with putter, period, and it’s a full fitting not just rolling putts at a store. This is the one club an amateur will use 30+ times a round and it’s one of the least fitted in the bag.

Putters can be brutal.

I spent decades trying to knock a 1977 Ram Zebra out of my bag.

Eventually I concluded that the next great putter design will be the very first!

[Firebird 381]

My thinking around this is simple - Would upgrading improve my game, if so why. It could be that you are using older irons that do not offer forgiveness or wedges that simply do not feel right etc. However would the money be better spent on lessons?

[Nateyeight 154]

I had a beginner set and started to improve. 

I upgraded in this order;

Driver
Putter
Irons
Wedges (you need to do these after the irons, so you know what loft to get for gapping, and if you have a gap/approach wedge in your set or not) 
Fairway woods

[chiefs2121 10]

I would say irons because once those are figured out you can fit the rest of your clubs like your wedges and woods/hybrid based on the lofts and gapping of your irons. I would probably go putter first unless you love your putter.

Edited August 28, 2021 by chiefs2121
Typo

[BK_Strozier 33]

Wow thanks to everyone for such great responses! There was such much to think about and consider. I don't struggle for distance, but I do struggle on and around the green. So I'm going to start from the green and work my way back to the tee.

I've got a putter fitting at Evnroll scheduled and I could be more excited.

 As for after that I think I'll be getting some lessons @Firebird, hopefully those can help me set my ego to the side so I can consider more forgiving irons. Sticking with my MP-67's or getting new more forgiving irons will probably guide any next steps I take. 

[stuka44 421]

 

On 9/11/2021 at 7:50 PM, BK_Strozier said:

So I'm going to start from the green and work my way back to the tee.

I update my equipment, whenever I have the expendable income, and believe I deserve something new.  If you are struggling around the greens, then my advice is to find the time to go to a course that has a putting green you can chip around.  practice 100-300 chips a week, for a couple months, and I'm pretty sure you will find that your old wedges are hitting the ball closer to the hole from just off the green.  Now if cost is no issue and you just want new wedges, or other clubs then the order you get them in doesn't really matter.  I mean no offence, I give people the same advice when it comes to purchasing new equipment.  Dedicated practice with your old equipment will ALWAYS, improve your scores more, than new equipment with no additional practice.

[BK_Strozier 33]

@stuka44 that's all super true. I definitely want some new equipment but don't need it. I've been practicing a few times a week recently and actually working on specific things when I'm practicing and it's already paying off.